Red Ace
by The Solo Song Warrior
Summary: Black Jack thought the only girl he'd live with was Pinoko. But when the young/intelligent lady Tomoko comes to learn his ways, he's in for the ride of his life. Join us as Black Jack teaches his first ever student and Tomoko brings out a long lost side in him. Who knew a young girl could do such things. "The ace is my favorite. It can be either the weakest or the strongest."
1. On My Doorstep

**I just started watching Black Jack series a while ago and thought of this.**

 **This dramatic anime is about to get a _whole_ lot more dramatic by the time I'm done with it.**

 **PS: I do not own any of the Black Jack series or know any medical stuff.**

 **So don't complain if some stuff don't make sense!**

 **Besides this thing was weird from the start!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Black Jack sat in his home as usual, staring out at the storm. Pinoko looked at him through the doorway, wondering what he was thinking about for the millionth time. He had just returned from another job yesterday, earning 10M for another successful operation. As usual, when he had gotten home, he had told her how it had happened. This was simply how he acted until a while after the job, waiting for the next high paying costumer.

However, Black Jack felt something. He felt as if something was going to happen, like fate had another thing in store for him.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Actually, knocking would be an understatement. It sounded as though someone was throwing multiple sticks at the door. Black Jack immediately sat up, walking briskly to the door. Pinoko ran to beat him there, but the moment she was about to touch the knob, the heavy knocking had worsened, sounding like someone trying to break it down. There was a loud clap of thunder as she jumped back and squealed, hearing a voice outside.

 _"Hello?! Is someone in there?! I'm looking for Dr. Black Jack!_ Please _, let me in!"_ Pinoko looked back at Black Jack, her face scared and worried. he was standing a few feet away from her in the dark, but she could see him nod. She grabbed the knob and quickly unlocked it, grunting as she opened the door.

As another bolt of lightning pierced the sky, a body fell onto the floor, a puddle already forming under it. The body had only been there for a few seconds, but Black Jack had already analyzed its appearance. It was a young lady, height of 5 foot 4, Japanese like him, around age fifteen, had long, wavy black hair parted slightly to the right with two streaks of scarlet red on each side that shaped her head, and judging by the way she was holding herself, in pain.

The girl looked up while holding her upper body from the floor, her long black hair covering her face, dripping water. He couldn't see her eyes, but judging from her tone she was probably terrified.

"Dr. Black Jack... Thank goodness... I've been looking for you... for so long..." He watched as her arm caved in, her body slumping onto the now wet floor. Black Jack's eyes widened for a moment, then he gave an order to Pinoko. "Get the operation room ready." She nodded, running to the operation room.

Black Jack kneeled down, grabbing his black coat in the process. He could see that her body was already gaining a bit of hypothermia from the rain as he wrapped it around her body. That was not a shock to him, considering her outfit. She only wore a blue jean jacket over a crimson zip-up hoodie, a black shirt, dark skinny jeans, and black combats that covered most of her lower legs. As he picked her up and held her bridal style, he looked around to see if there was anyone else. All he was were two suitcases.

As he was about to grab one of them, Pinoko had returned. "Operation room is ready! And I turned the heat up a little so she'll warm up." Black Jack gave a nod of approval. "Good. Now bring her bags in and meet me there." Pinoko nodded again, already starting to drag one in.

Black Jack quickly walked to the makeshift operating room. He placed the unidentified girl on the bed, her body shivering violently with his body heat gone. He immediately wheeled a heat lamp over, shining it down on her. After a moment or two, her shivering diminished, and she slowly opened her eyes.

She didn't open them enough for him to see her, and a lock of her black and red hair was covering them as she made an effort to sit up. "Don't move," Black Jack ordered immediately. She slumped down with those orders, groaning. "My... my back," she moaned. "What's wrong?" "I... I don't know... It began... last week... A while... after I started looking for you..." Black Jack's brows raised slightly. _So she isn't here for treatment_ , he said as he took off her jacket and hoodie.

"I'll need to take off your shirt," he said, looking for approval. "Go ahead... Just... make it stop!" She cried out as she curled up in pain, making Black Jack have to gently pull off her shirt. When he did so, she was shivering again and whimpering. "Miss, are you alright?" "N-not exactly... I... I can't f-f-feel anything... Wh-why haven't you started the operation..?" Black Jack knew that the hypothermia was getting serious, making him turn the heat lamp up.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but you are in no condition to go under yet. When your skin regains a bit more color and the shivering subsides, I will begin immediately." "The girl tried to look at him again, and gave a slight nod. "Oh... r-right..." Black Jack nodded as he prepared himself to look at the girl.

After ten minutes of having her lie in her jeans, shoes, and bra, her skin became less pale. when that happened, he injected anesthetics into her, rolling her onto her stomach while it took affect. "Ma'am, where is the pain located?" Her reply was weak and drowsy as she went under."N-near the... center of my back..." He nodded glad he would not have to assume where the pain was. He grabbed a scalpel and began cutting to reveal the muscle tissue near the spine.

After two minutes of searching, he found a cyst located near her spine. His first thought was to wonder how a cyst could form there. And in such a young and healthy-looking lady as well. But he pushed it out of the way for later, focusing on removing the cyst and relieving the girl of pain.

After ten minutes, the cyst was in a dish, the area was stitched up, and the cyst in a dish, he carefully placed the girl's shirt on. He placed her jackets over her and picked her up again, taking her to the guest room and laying her on the bed.

When he returned to the living room, Pinoko was sitting on the floor, playing with one of her toys. He gave a small smile as he sat down in his chair with a sigh. "How is she?" the small girl asked. "She'll be fine. She had a cyst close to her spine, causing pain. I still don't understand how one could form in her body. And she said that the pain only started last week." Pinoko nodded, her face worried. "And the hypothermia?" "I made sure that her body got close to normal temperature before operation. She should be fine by the time she wakes up."

Ten minutes after that statement, they heard footsteps coming from the hall. The young girl walked carefully down the hall, her legs a little shaky and her skin still too pale. Black Jack looked over his shoulder as she neared. "Well, look whose up. I hope you're feeling better." He gestured to the other chair, where she began to head to. "Thank you. I feel _much_ better now," she said, sighing in relief as she sat down. She looked up to Black Jack, who gave a small gasp at the sight of her eyes. They were icy blue, yet there was a warm sense looking into them.

"I suppose you'd like your pay now," the girl said, her voice serious as she crossed her right leg over her left, placing her right elbow on the armchair. "Yes. How much do you want to pay?" The girl gave a small smirk, her eyes narrowing. "Name your price." "Any?" "I can pay any price you ask me." "I doubt that." "Dr., you of all people should know that humans are full of surprises," she said, placing her chin in her right palm.

Black Jack gave a small smirk, nodding to let her name the first price. "Ten million," she said automatically. Black Jack's eyes widened a bit and Pinoko laughed. "No way you have that much!" The girl shook her head and chuckled as she reached into her jean jacket's left pocket. What she pulled out was a large wad of yen bills. Pinoko gawked in shock as the girl thumbed the amount she offered. When she finished she handed it to Black Jack, who took it quietly. "There's more where that came from. I drained half of my account before I left home."

"Holy moly you're rich!" Pinoko said, staring bug-eyed at the remaining cash. Black Jack just nodded. "This will be all for now. But I feel you came here for another reason," he said, placing the money in his pocket. The girl nodded. her face returning to being serious.

"Yes. I think the best way to start explaining myself is to give you my name. I don't expect you to know my first name, but my last name should be known well." Black Jack nodded, resting his elbows on his knees and his chin perched on his hands.

"My name is Tomoko Krigaya." Black Jack was surprised at the last name. " _You're_ the daughter of the scientist Akio Krigaya?" "Yes. And like I said, this may be the best way to explain myself."

Black Jack held up a hand to pause her. "I think this will take a while. PInoko," he said, getting the girl's attention. "Would you please get us some tea?" "Right away, Doctor!" she said, jumping up and running to the kitchen. She quickly came back, a tray in hand, a tea pot and three cups on it. "Hope ya like black tea!" She set the tray down and set the drinks, handing the two their individual cups. After thanking her, Tomoko took a long sip before speaking.

"Truth be told, Doctor, I'm very nervous about being here. I've idolized you for so long. My father talks about you to the other scientist with hate. Meanwhile, I talk about you to their daughters- my friends -with fascination." She took a quick sip, setting it on the small table next to her.

"I grew up as the daughter of two scientist. My mother worked for the CIA, and my father for a huge lab. For years I watched them work, wanting to help change the world like they do. Then my mother died when I was eight when she caught a case of hemoptysis that was so serious that even my father and the best doctors couldn't cure. That's why I wanted to become a doctor.

"After my mother died my father was never the same. He first became strict, getting a little angry when I didn't get all A's on my report card. Then he began to yell at me. then, when I was ten, he began to hit me whenever he was really upset. He made me study for hours on end, yelling at me when he thought I was in the way of his work. I despised him for that. He wasn't the kind man he once was anymore. I kept on telling my friends I didn't want to prepare for my medical studies under him, that I wanted to learn from you. Heh, they thought I was crazy."

Tomoko took another sip of her tea, refilling it after. As she prepared the new cup, Black Jack took the opportunity to ask her some questions. "May I ask how old you are, Tomoko?" Tomoko nodded. "Right. I turned fifteen a while back. I skipped several lower grade levels and graduated high school last year. When I did my father made me study under him, saying he would send me off to school when the next school year started." Black Jack nodded, leaning even more forward. "And how much to you know about me?"

Tomoko smiled as she took a small sip of her tea. "I know many things. Like I said, I'm very intelligent and my mother worked for the CIA. I did research on you. I know your real name is Kuro'o Hazama, you lived on an abandoned military base, you've found the cure of many forgotten or unheard of diseases, you don't have a medical license anymore, and that you aren't the greedy man you let the world think you are."

Black Jack smiled at this. "Now I can understand how you know everything else, but how do you know I'm not greedy?" "It was actually a hunch until you just proved it." Pinoko gawked again, unable to believe what was happening. Black Jack smiled, sitting up straight in his chair as Tomoko continued. "You don't have a look of greed in your eyes. You have the look of devotion. You want payment to give back, and you protect yourself with the fake personality the world now knows you by."

Black Jack smiled as another bolt of lightning pierced the sky. "You still didn't answer Black Jack's question!" Pinoko said, breaking the brief silence. Tomoko looked at the little girl and stood up, making direct eye contact with Black Jack.

"Doctor, I've wanted to be a doctor ever since I was little. but when my mother died, it was a wake up call." Another flash, and Tomoko took a lock of her red hair in-between her fingers. "I got these in a lab accident, but that's a story for another time. I grew up in the lab. I watched as my father worked to cure diseases, my mother work on her cases when she came by, and got this small part of me there." She resumed her eye contact with the man.

As her eyes filled with sorrow, determination, longing, and distance, she bowed, her hair covering her face.

"Please, Doctor! I don't want to learn from my father or a college professor! I want to be trained by only the best! I want to be like you. I want to achieve the impossible, defy the limits of science, help people have a future of theirs to make! Please, _please_ teach me! Let me be your student, I'll pay any price you ask and work harder than I have in my entire life to be even close to being as good as you! _Please! Be my teacher!"_

Black Jack could hear her begin to cry. he let a moment of silence pass, the only sounds being the rain and thunder mixed with the young girl's cries. Pinoko watched with pity as the girl's tears began to be too much, even though they have not made themselves visible.

After what seemed like an hour, Black Jack finally answered.

"Add another million to the price. The devotion you'll show to this line of work will be payment enough."

The girl gasped, looking up at the doctor, her eyes on the verge of crying. "Th... thank you. Thank you _so_ much!" A single tear ran down her cheek as she shook Black Jack's hand. "I promise that you won't regret it!" "I better not. It's still early evening. Dinner will be ready at seven, you can study in the library until then." Tomoko nodded vigorously, preparing to pick up her bags.

"Easy. If you overwork yourself, you'll open up your stitching," he warned. "I got them!" Pinoko said, picking one up. "Put it in the guest room. That'll be your room from now on," Black Jack told Tomoko as she walked down the hall. "The library is down the hall," he called out, watching as Tomoko eagerly found it, practically skipping in.

Fate definitely brought him something interesting this time.

* * *

Tomoko had lost track of time. She had walked into the very small library, picked up one of the many, _many_ medical books on there, and couldn't stop. She had read many books on viruses and poisons, but these books were more advanced than anything she's ever read. She dreamed of learning this stuff under the infamous Black Jack, and she was still sure she was dreaming after all of this.

She was in the middle of her third book when she heard a knock on the door before it opened. "Tomoko? Dinner's ready." She hummed in confusion, looking up at him from her book. When she finally processed what he said, she quickly marked her page. "Oh, right, sorry. I just... I've never read most of these books before," she said, jogging to meet him at the door and follow him to the dinning room. "Really? Knowing the lab your father works at I would've thought he'd have some of the best books." Tomoko nodded with a hum as he let her enter first. "He did, but he didn't think I was ready." "Well, considering you read two and a half in an hour, I think he was wrong," he said as she took a seat at the table, a plate with curry in front of her.

"Hope you like curry! It's the doc's favorite food," Pinoko said, sitting in her own seat with help from Black Jack. "Well, I usually don't like spicy foods, but I'll give it a go," she said, picking up her spoon, eying her glass of water in case she needed it. As Black Jack took his third bite, Tomoko closed her mouth around the spoonful of curry.

At first all she could taste was the rice and chicken. But after the third chew, she began to feel her tongue burn up. "Mmph!" She quickly placed her spoon down and grabbed her glass of water, taking a gulp of the cold, icy liquid.

As she did so and fanned her face to keep from crying, Black Jack watched with interest as Pinoko failed to stifle a laughter. When Tomoko's tongue and mouth came back down from the spices, she gave a sigh of relief. She knew the two were waiting for her reaction of whether she liked the dish or not. She couldn't help but laugh at the entire situation.

"Well, that was interesting," she said, wiping her eyes. "I'll admit; this isn't bad!" She took another spoonful and placed it in her mouth, placing another soon after. Pinoko laughed as she returned to feasting on her own plate, while Black Jack himself couldn't help but smile at Tomoko's ability to eat something she wasn't used to. H had to admit that her stamina and determination was very strong. He sipped his tea before digging back into his curry, the entire meal filled with Pinoko laughing each time the spice of the curry got too strong for Tomoko.

After dinner Tomoko had returned to the library, where she stayed until around nine in the evening, where Black Jack leaned on the door railing. he was still in his clothes, only his tie was hanging loosely. "You should go to sleep." "It's nine in the evening. And as a child you require eight hours of sleep. we usually wake up at six-thirty." "So? I'll get nine hours of sleep. That's an _extra hour_ ," she said, not looking up from her ninth book. "Come back in an hour," she said, turning the page. He just scoffed as she shook his head in disapproval.

His newest and first ever student was very stubborn.

He came back an hour exactly, where she was on her twelfth book. "You know most of this info is pretty predictable? That's why I'm finishing them quickly," she said when he led her to her room. "Yes, some of them need updating," he said, walking to his own room.

"Good night, Tomoko."

"Good night... Kuro'o."


	2. Fate (Please) Be Kind

_Good night... Kuro'o._

Those three words kept him up for half an hour. He was usually one to fall asleep quickly, but the fact that someone had used his real name for the first time in years was shocking. He was also surprised that Tomoko had the courage to call him so when they had only known each other for a few hours. Not even Pinoko called him by his name.

Tomoko herself had only stayed up ten minutes after changing into the pajamas she had packed, with the reason being the fact that she was staying in the house of infamous Black Jack. She was so giddy that she couldn't stop clutching the covers and giggling. When she finally did fall asleep all she could dream about was her future in the medical world. She dreamt of traveling with Black Jack and curing patients, with her by his side and watching his ways.

 _I can't believe this. I'm going to become a doctor. And the notorious Black Jack is my teacher!_ She let this go over in her mind endlessly as she slept. But when she woke up and began to dress back into he now freshly cleaned outfit thanks to Black Jack, she began to wonder more. _Now that I've actually met him, he really isn't_ that _notorious_ , the realized. She wondered how he got people to think of him like that. Greedy, _yes. D_ ark, _understandable._ Creepy in some ways, _kinda_. But notorious... She didn't see it.

As she left her room, her jackets in hand, she sniffed the air. She hummed at the smell of pancakes, bacon, and eggs. She threw her jackets on the coat rack and walked into the kitchen, where Black Jack was placing some eggs on his plate before picking up a cup of coffee.

"Good morning," he said as she rubbed her eyes and yawned, lazily picking up a clean plate as she waited for Pinoko to stop piling pancakes on her plate. "Morning," she said, glad that Pinoko moved onto the bacon. When she stacked two pancakes she got some eggs and what was left of the bacon and went to the dining room, where she placed butter and syrup on her pancakes and sprinkled salt on her eggs.

While eating her breakfast and sipping on orange juice, Black Jack read the newspaper, the morning being one of the few that had no storms, the sea calm. "So, Tomoko, how much do you want to learn from me anyways?" "Everything." Black Jack took a sip of his coffee as she swallowed. and looked at him. "Doctor, I'm no ordinary girl. I want to work with you until I come close to being as good as you. I want to learn everything you know and will learn in the future. I want to be right besides you for every operation I can see." Black Jack set his mug down and gave a small smile as he looked into the girl's icy yet warm eyes.

"Well then, you're going to have to practice every free second you have," he said, earning a nod from the teenager. "Got it," she said, claping her hands together. "What's first?"

* * *

"I fail to see how this helps me become a surgeon," Tomoko said, sitting on the center of the couch, Black Jack tying a piece of black cloth over her eyes, Pinoko giggling as she held up her hair.

"It's a technique I used when I was still learning in the university. This will get you into the habit of practicing surgery with your eyes closed," Black Jack explained as he made sure the knot was secure and helped Tomoko free any hair stuck under the blindfold. "Okay," she said, sounding a bit unsure. "Good. Pinoko, give Tomoko a crisis to operate."

"Right! Okay! You just walked into the hospital and the nurses say that there's a patient in dire need of surgery. What do you do first?" "Easy. I first ask for the patient's name, age , and charts. Then I ask what their condition they're in.."

"Right! Now, the patient is named Lucky Mathews, age thirteen. She's been called in because she needs her appendix removed. But the thing is, her pulse is starting to weaken and they think the appendix is goanna burst any minute! How do you handle the situation?" "Before I head into the operating room I tell the nurse who will assist me to hook up the patient to the proper IV unit." "That would be me," Black Jack said, sitting in his chair and continued to read the paper.

Tomoko nodded as she gave the certain fluid and amount to fill into the IVs and instruct the amount of tools she'll need. "You're doing great! You're in the operating room now, the patient right in front of you. You need to begin the operation now! Hurry and start!" "Okay," Tomoko said, her voice a little shaky. Black Jack took this as a good sign. She was actually picturing herself in the operating room, the young girl on the table in front of her.

He looked up from the paper and watched as she held up her right hand, setting it in the position of holding a scalpel. "Patient's pulse?" "Normal," replied Black Jack. "Vitals?" "Holding steady." "Good. Beginning operation."

Black Jack nodded as he himself could now see the same world that Tomoko was in, the girl Lucky under anesthetics laying on the table, ready for operation. He watched as Tomoko cut perfectly into the exact area, the blindfold still secure around her eyes. She was doing fine, asking how the patient was at the appropriate times, asking for the right tools at the right times, everything was going perfect.

Until the time came to take out the appendix.

Even with her eyes covered, Tomoko froze, her two hands holding the right items, everything was right. But even though they were covered, Black Jack knew that those pale eyes were full of worry as sweat started to form on her face, her mouth agape and taking in deep breaths.

"Tomoko, you need to hurry. Patient's pulse is increasing." "Yes, sir." "Her vitals are starting to climb." "Understood, sir." "Tomoko-""I know, sir!" Suddenly her arms, which were steady a moment ago, were now shaking, just like last night. She was panting, sweat starting to drip down her face. "I-I can do this... I just need to... Wait, what _do_ I do?" Black Jack knew she was experiencing something to cause her to forget. A girl with her IQ and ability to read so fast doesn't just forget something like this so quickly.

Black Jack stood up, setting the paper down. He motioned for Pinoko to back away as he neared. he walked around the couch until he was directly behind Tomoko. He reached over the couch and gently grabbed the sides of her hands, a small amount of his upper body pressing against her. The sudden physical contact caused her to sit straight quickly, gasping in shock as he whispered into his ears, knowing that she needed to be talked to gently.

"Tomoko, it's alright. Just remember my movements. Feel how smooth and quick they are. Imagine yourself holding two ribbons. Remember how they feel. Imbed them into your mind." Tomoko nodded, focusing all her attention on her hands.

She was silent as he whispered what he was doing into her ears, the movements feeling so swift and smooth that she was surprised that he could ever cut into a body with them.

When they were done with that part and started stitching, Tomoko's breathing had calmed, her heart back down to normal. She hadn't realized this until they were done, the blindfold gone, and Black Jack standing in front of her, arms crossed looking concerned.

Pinoko had decided to sit on the sidelines, sipping a cup of milk. She knew Black Jack very well. She knew that he hadn't released her from being his patient. She was still under his care. And the panic attack proved it.

"Tomoko," he said quietly, wanting a response. The only thing she did was clench her hands, which laid on her lap. She didn't look up, she couldn't look up. All she did was raise her hands, and preformed their actions again.

Black Jack watched as she did it almost flawlessly, messing up a few times. But no matter what she didn't look up. He watched as her hands gently, gracefully, moved through the air, her lips moving as she silently muttered the movements and techniques. When she was done they returned to her lap, falling still again.

"Wonderful, Tomoko. You really are amazing. It takes quite some time to prefect these moves." She still didn't move. Black Jack sighed at this, sounding tired. "Tomoko, please, don't be too hard on yourself. Anyone could have messed up or freaked out, even if-""He was so hard on me," she suddenly said. Pinoko quickly stood up and ran to the girl's side, trying to look at her face through the two red locks of hair.

"Father was so hard on me when it came to my grades. I did many afterschool activities, and he made me work hard on those, too. He took the fun out of many things. It's another reason why I left. If I didn't do it right I'd be punished. I would either be yelled at, slapped, or just pushed harder. So please forgive me, Kuro'o. My father had left his mark on me. And I'm afraid it'll stay for a while," she said, finally looking up. Her smile was sad, but Black Jack couldn't help but nod.

"Alright. But you need to get over it. If this had been a real surgery the patient's vitals may have spiked, her appendix probably burst in the middle of the operation," he explained. Tomoko nodded, getting up and walking to her room. A while later she came out with a small case in her right hand. Pinoko just happened to be coming from the kitchen with trash bags filled up. She noticed Tomoko and smiled.

"Hey, whatcha got in the case?" Tomoko stopped and smiled, patting the smaller girl's head. "Ah, just some training... Hey, can I borrow those?"

* * *

Three large bangs in a row rang through the air, and three trash bags jerked around, the force of the bullets strong.

Tomoko stayed in a firing position, mentally recovering from the recoil. She held a black pistol in both hands, arms length away with both eyes open. She fired three more times for each bag, lowering the pistol when the ringing stopped. She closed her eyes and lowered her head, smirking as the wind picked up her hair, the sun shining on her.

"WOW! You've got some good shooting skills," Pinoko said, skipping around. "Thanks, squirt. I'll tell ya, shooting a pistol isn't as easy as it looks. I started learning when I was eight, finally could shoot a bull's-eye a year later," she said, looking up into the sky.

"I didn't know you could use a gun, Tomoko," Black Jack said, grinning as Pinoko took the bags and threw them into the trash bin. "Kuro'o, when you accepted me, you not only got a student but a body guard as well," Tomoko said, holding the pistol in her right hand. She grinned as she saw the taken aback look on Black Jack's face. She emptied the remaining bullets and placed them and the gun back in it's small case, closing it and locking it up.

When she passed Black Jack, she spoke again. "I'm not only skilled with a gun, Doc. I can also use a blade pretty well." She chuckled as she felt his gaze follow her as she reentered the house. When she did she had just placed the case in a corner of her new closet when she heard the phone ring. She rushed out to get it, but the doctor stopped her when it was on it's last ring.

"Hold on," he said as the voice mail played. Tomoko waited for the recorded voice of her teacher to stop and the caller to begin. But the voice of her first case didn't bring excitement to her. Only fear entered her mind.

 _"Greeting, Dr. Black Jack. I won't linger on the fact that my daughter is probably with you by now, since I'm in quite the predicament. I had an accident in the lab and one of my co-workers is in critical condition. Please, by all means, come as quickly as you can. I'd love to see my daughter being wasted away as your nurse. The pay is fifteen million yen. If that isn't enough then we can negotiate after the surgery. If you agree, my daughter knows the number and address. Thank you, and good-bye."_

At the sound of the other line hanging up, Black Jack looked at Tomoko. Her face was pale, her entire body seemed to be frozen. As sweat began to form on her head she looked at her new mentor.

"If you want the job, I'll tell you the number." "That's not what I'm worried about. What about you?" Tomoko looked down, her hair covering her face. "I don't care if it's my father, he's in need of help. As a future doctor I have to get used to the fact that there are people who wil need me and be horrible." Black Jack nodded, walking to his room. "Girls, pack up. Tomoko, where do you live?" "My home is in a town in Tokyo," she said, running to her room.

As they began to travel first by bus and then by plane, Tomoko explained her journey.

"It took a while to even get to the town you live near. I had to take a short flight to an airport near it because I knew I'd have to save up in cash. It took just one week to find out you even lived near the town. It took another week to find out you lived on the hill. It only took a week because I couldn't get a ride and the cyst you took out of me caused a lot of pain." "I was surprised that you could still walk." "With the proper motivation, anyone can do anything."

In the middle of the flight, Tomoko had finished her medical book and began reading her fictional book. But minutes later, she had fallen asleep, her book open and on her lap. Black Jack himself was about to doze off when he heard something shift and weight on his left shoulder. He looked to find Tomoko sleeping, her mouth slightly open and breathing through it softly. He smiled, taking her book and placing it in her black backpack and put it under the seat in front of her.

Tomoko had changed into a long-sleeved rose red buttoned shirt with boot cut dark jeans and her combat boots under them, a maroon leather jacket - which was so dark it might as well have been black - on her lap, and a silver necklace with an ace pendant on it. He carefully covered her with the jacket, causing her to hum in comfort and snuggle into him more. Black Jack heard a huff, and looked over to see Pinoko sitting in the row across from them, arms crossed and looking away. He chuckled softly at the young girl's jealousy.

When they landed an hour or so later in Tokyo, Tomoko led them through the city and towards the town that her father's lab was. When they reached it she had looked unsure. Before they could take a step towards the entrance, a man cleared his throat.

"Well, well, Tomoko. I didn't expect you to be allowed in the field so quickly after becoming a nurse."

Tomoko was the first to turn around. Behind them a man in a lab coat, kakis, a blue dress shirt and black tie stood, with hair that was black. Tomoko glared at the man so hard that Black Jack was surprised that the man wasn't scared.

"Hello, dear. I don't suppose you came to say good-bye," the man said, stepping towards Tomoko. "Of course not. And I didn't pressure Dr. Black Jack into coming here or not, for the record," the teen said, turning sharply away. "Doctor? You call this criminal a doctor?" The man began to raise his voice, making Tomoko hunch over a bit. "This man is _unlicensed,_ Tomoko," he said, making the word "unlicensed" sound as if he had tasted venom. "You deserve to be taught by a _proper_ doctor!" "For the love of mercy, Dad, I'm fifteen! I don't need you breathing down my neck all the time!" Tomoko finally said, tuning around, an angry fire in her eyes.

"I'm goanna turn sixteen in a few months, so stop acting like you have complete control over me!" Tomoko continued to glare at the man before turning away and walking to the side of Black Jack. She didn't look at him, just held her gaze at her father. "Mr. Krigaya, I came here to treat a patient. Where are they?" Mr. Krigaya chuckled, turning around and motioning them to follow him. "She's in the lab's operation room. Come in and I'll show you." Pinoko immediately followed him, Back Jack slowly coming next. Tomoko stood there, her gaze unwavering, before huffing and following Black Jack.

The lab was definitely state of the art, the latest technology everywhere. As Mr. Kriagya led them through the lab, Tomoko seemed to be looking out for something.

When they reached the operation room, a middle-aged woman with blonde hair and pale skin laid on her back, already dressed for operation. Black Jack turned to see Tomoko, who had gasped and covered her mouth with one of her hands.

"Ms. Moku!" Tomoko ran to the woman's side, checking her pulse. "What happened?!" she yelled at her father. "She's fine. For now, anyways. Do you think you can treat her?" he asked Black Jack as he handed him a folder. In the folder was Ms. Moku's medical record, along with some X-rays. Black Jack held the X-rays up to the light, gasping at what he saw.

Multiple cyst were in several areas of the woman's body. There were at least two in her back, three in her right leg, one in the left, and one in each arm. "How is this possible?" he asked as Tomoko snatched an image and the folder. She examined the image first, then opened the folder. She stared intently at the folder, carefully reading each word. Everyone was silent till she snapped it shut, looking up and at her father.

"She gained these in two weeks. I got just one in that same amount of time." She slammed down the folder on a table, causing the contents to rattle. "What did you do, Dad?!" Mr. Krigaya stared at his daughter, seeming unsure of how to answer. He looked down and sighed, seeming ready to face the consequences.

"I had invented a serum for military purposes. It was designed to quickly form a cyst in the human body. When I overheard you talking to your friends about Black Jack even _more_ than usual, I knew something was up," he started. Tomoko seemed to blush at the last bit, which Black Jack didn't let go unnoticed. Pinoko seemed to pick this up as well, because she started growling at her. Tomoko ignored her, continuing to glare at her father.

"When I saw that you were packing up, I automatically knew that you were heading to this _criminal_ for what you think is education. I decided to test the serum. The night before you vanished, I took my chances and injected the serum into a spot on your back."

Before anything else could be said, Black Jack punched the older man. "How could you?! You're a scientist, damn it! We devote our lives to help other people! Yet you put your daughter in danger just to keep her in your grasp?! And now your co-worker has at least one in each limb, and I saw that there was even one in her kidney! How are you not ashamed?!" "Black Jack!" Before Black Jack could strike another blow, Tomoko grabbed the sleeve of his arm with her right hand.

"He may be cruel, but he's not worth it!" She let him take his arm back as she took his coat and jacket. "I'll set up the room for operation," she said, walking out of the room with Pinoko at her side, who held the medical bag. Before she left the room, she turned back slightly, her head looking over her shoulder.

"Don't think I did this just because you're my dad. Even if you can never pay for your crimes, you'll receive punishment one day." With those words, she walked out the door and down the hall. "And I suggest you get ready, Doctor. I'll have the room ready in a moment."

When silence filled the room, Black Jack glared at the man. " _Pfft,_ as if you're a real doctor. Honestly, who does that girl think she is?" Black Jack seemed to snap at those words. He grabbed the older man's collar and yanked him so his face was only inches from his own.

"You're lucky your daughter is my new student. You don't have the right to call yourself a man of science. You used it for your own greed. How can you live with the fact that you put your own daughter at risk?" He shoved the man away so hard that he hit the floor. Black Jack huffed as he adjusted his tie. "And by the way, Mr. Krigaya, your fee has raised to twenty million. I hope you're as rich as your daughter implies and says." With that, Black Jack calmly left the room.

When he closed the door behind him, a voice spoke out.

"Damn, you sure did scare him. I don't think my pop has been scared like that since that time my mom dressed as a banshee and scared him. Of course she was going for the homeless old lady one, so you have to admit, none of us saw it coming."

Black Jack turned around to find Tomoko chewing a Pocky, the box by her side and in her left hand. Black Jack stared at her, silent. "Don't worry, I'm not mad. He was asking for it, anyways. I also checked that we have everything. You should go change and prepare for the operation." Black Jack nodded, walking off to change.

* * *

"Let us begin."

"Vitals are normal," Tomoko said, looking at the machines from where she stood next to him, holding up her hands with black jack before proceeding.

Tomoko handed him the first scalpel, watching and memorizing how he used it. As he started he told her what and how he was doing the operation. Tomoko nodded with each lesson, embedding the words into her mind.

"We are now removing the cysts in the arms. Watch how I do it then do the same on the other." Black Jack calmly removed the cyst in the left arm, leaving the right to Tomoko. He watched her work, listening to her taking deep, calming breaths while doing so. He guided her on where to remove the cyst, making sure she left no trace of it behind. When she successfully removed it and placed it in a dish, he helped her stitch up the area.

It took an hour, but the cysts were all out and in dishes, and the body of the woman was patched up, almost no trace of surgery. Tomoko sighed as she dabbed her sweaty face with a cloth she had been using on the doctor, glad that the first operation she witnessed was a success.

When they walked out of the room, they were greeted by Mr. Krigaya and Pinoko. "Everything went well. Ms. Moku should feel better by the time she wakes up. But she should stay in bed for a while until the stitching is completely secure." Mr. Krigaya nodded, handing the doctor an envelope. "All your money is in there. And you, young lady," he said, turning to Tomoko, who was letting her hair out of her cap. "I sugest you go home and take anything you don't want put in storage or thrown away. I may turn your room into an office or something." Tomoko nodded.

The drive to her home was quiet, and when they reached it she asked for Black Jack and Pinoko to come help her pack up.

Her old room was interesting indeed. It had red walls and a grey carpet, with silver furniture and a bedspread with a band he didn't recognize. They packed the sheets up in boxes that were already laid out and emptied her closet and the drawers. By the time theywere fully packed the walls were stripped of their posters and everything that could hold anything was emptied. The only thing left was a large red based jewelry box with gold trimmings. Pinoko ran up to it and stared as it glittered in the light.

"Oooooohhh," she said, reaching out to touch it, only to have her hand slapped away by Tomoko. "Hey, don't touch," she shot out, picking it up. Pinoko pouted as she rubbed her hand. "Can I at least see what's inside?" Tomoko looked up at the celling, thinking. "Fine," she said, crouching down and unlocking the box. Both Pinoko and Black Jack stared at all the glittering jewelry, some dripping out. When she thought they were satisfied, she snapped it closed and locked it again.

"All of these are either birthday presents, heirlooms, or gifts from admirers," she explained, picking up a small box and plaing the jewelry box in it before closing it. "I've got a few fake ones, but I still keep them. I don't usually like accessories, but I just don't have the heart to get rid of them," she said, smiling fondly.

It took a few trips, but they were able to fill the cap with the boxes. Before they left, three girls had run up to the house, all looking out of breath. "Tomi!" the dark-skinned girl said, who had bleached blonde hair and wearing a thin-strap purple shirt and a black skirt with silver high-heels. As the girl hugged Tomoko, two other girls came up to Black Jack. One was pale-skinned, wearing a green sweater and jeans with convers, the other wearing a grey skirt and a black hoodie with her black hair and black boots.

"Hi," the green sweater girl said. "I'm Aya. Goth over here is Maki, and the hugger is Sasha," she explained, shaking Black Jack's hand. "Nice to meet you. I suppose you are the friends she's told me so much about," he said, a small smile on his face as she made his way to the cab.

"Yup! But we could never be as smart as her," she said as Tomoko walked up with Sasha. "You better take care of her," Sasha said, crossing her arms over her chest. "I will," Black Jack assured as he and Pinoko climbed into the cab. Meanwhile, Tomoko was listening to her friends.

"Be sure to text and call us regularly."

"We'll visit you soon!"

"Don't F up your shot."

"Guys, calm down," she said, trying to stop them. "Sorry, girl. But it's always been us four. Without you there's no crazy girl in our group," Sasha said, starting to tear up. "Yeah, well, except for Maki always trying to get us to summon demons," Aya said, earning a punch in the arm from said goth. "Shut up." When Aya recovered from the assault, the girls shared one final hug.

On the ride, Black Jack explained his plan. "We'll stay at a hotel tonight and head home tomorrow. I have a few contacts that'll have your things at the house by then." "Sounds like a plan," she said, rubbing away tears.

After dropping the boxes off at a moving company, they checked into a hotel and decided to go out. Tomoko, however, didn't feel like going out with them.

"Kuro'o, if it's all right with you, I'd like to go spend the night in town with the girls," Tomoko said when they were in the hotel. "It's quite alright. Enjoy your night," he said, giving her a soft smile. "Thanks. I'll be back before midnight," she said, taking her hoodie and jean jacket -she had switched to her casual clothes- and putting them on as she stepped out. A few minutes after Black Jack and Pinoko stepped out themselves, later ending up at a bar. It was mellow, except for the fact that there was booming music coming from the place next door.

"Excuse me," Pinoko asked the bartender. "What's that noise?" "Oh, it's our karaoke bar. It's in the other room. We get a lot of people there, actually," he explained, looking towards the door that led to the other side. Black Jack quietly sipped his small cup of beer as the music played on. But soon, there was a voice that caused him to stay still and quiet with his eyes closed, listening to the sweet, beautiful and passionate voice coming in from the next room.

 _Anomynous(A/N:_ **For now. *maniacally _giggling*_** _):(Yeah,_ _yeah)_

I _nsecure_  
 _In her skin_  
 _Like a puppet, a girl on a string_

 _Broke away_  
 _Learned to fly_  
 _If you want her back gotta let her shine_

 _So it looks like the joke's on you_  
 _'Cause the girl that you thought you knew_

 _She's so gone_  
 _That's so over now_  
 _She's so gone_  
 _You won't find her around_  
 _You can look but you won't see_  
 _The girl I used to be_  
 _'Cause she's_  
 _She's so gone_

As the mysterious voice vocalized the last note, Black Jack opened his eyes to look at Pinoko. "Pinoko, does that singer sound familiar?" "Nope! But she sounds so beautiful!" As Pinoko looked out into space, Black Jack continued to listen through the walls.

 _Anonymous: Here I am_  
 _This is me_  
 _And I'm stronger than you ever thought I'd be_

 _Are you shocked?_  
 _Are you mad?_  
 _That you're missing out on who I really am_

 _Now it looks like the joke's on you_  
 _'Cause the girl that you thought you knew_

 _She's so gone_  
 _That's so over now_  
 _She's so gone_  
 _You won't find her around_  
 _You can look but you won't see_  
 _The girl I used to be_  
 _'Cause she's_  
 _She's so gone away_  
 _Like history_  
 _She's so gone_  
 _Baby, this is me, yeah_

In the short period of time where only music played, Black Jack concluded his thoughts on the song the girl had picked. She was a very passionate, anti-status quo girl. She sounded as if she was free after being caged for so long.

 _Anonymous: She's so gone_  
 _That's so over now_  
 _She's so gone_  
 _You won't find her around_  
 _You can look but you won't see_  
 _The girl I used to be_  
 _'Cause she's_  
 _She's so gone_  
 _She's so gone_

 _You can look but you won't see_  
 _The girl I used to be_  
 _'Cause she's_  
 _She's so gone_

 _So long_  
 _She's so gone_  
 _Gone, gone, gone_

The song ended, and Black Jack got up and paid for his and Pinoko's drinks. With that, he silently walked out, Pinoko tailing him. He replayed the sound of that voice vocalizing over and over, never letting it get out. That girl, whoever she was, had a beautiful voice. He almostwent back just to see who was singing.

Little did he know that in the karaoke room that was dark with spotlights of different colors focused on the stage, teenagers and young adults cheering for that girl. The girl smiled and waved at the crowd as she thanked them.

The girl was wearing a black shirt, skinny jeans, black combats that almost reached her knees, and black hair with two streaks of scarlet.

* * *

 **Ha-ha!**

 **It ain't a proper cliffhanger, but it counts!**

 **Heh-hehhhh I didn't get much sleep last night.**

 **HAPPY FRIGGING SPRING BREAK!**

 **See ya later!**

 **P.S.: Song is "She's So Gone" by Naomi Scott sung in the movie Lemonade Mouth.**


End file.
